


The Questions That You Still Have

by wingsyouburn



Series: Tifa Week 2020 [6]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/F, Final Fantasy VII Remake Spoilers, Mid-Canon, Missing Scene, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:02:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24081754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingsyouburn/pseuds/wingsyouburn
Summary: Tifa and Aerith take a moment while fighting their way through the Dome.Spoilers for Chapter 17 of Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart
Series: Tifa Week 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1729564
Comments: 14
Kudos: 100





	The Questions That You Still Have

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Tifa Week on tumblr, with the prompt: _Favorite Relationship._ Here, have some Aerti!

Tifa once thought the sewer beneath Wall Market was the most vile place she’d ever been. But the Shinra Building took the cake. She didn’t know what was worse: the public areas full of propaganda or the sick experiments conducted in the upper levels. Tifa never wanted to set foot in this place again. 

Avalanche HQ had a ride waiting for them, if they could get to the roof in time, only now their party was separated. Cloud, Barret, and Red XIII were on a level somewhere below. Every doors was locked. The only way to get through Shinra’s maze was to play whatever game Hojo had laid out for them. That meant fighting twisted, frightening experiments, some that may have once been human, and constantly praying that the others were alright. 

At least they’d gotten what they’d came here for. Aerith was safe and sound, seemingly no worse for wear. Though the others weren’t with them, having Aerith by her side helped ease Tifa’s worries. Being alone in this hellscape would be worse. 

Another foul creature went down. Tifa wiped at her mouth, panting from the exertion of the fight. She knelt by a stack of boxes, giving herself a moment to recover. Cool magic washed over her. Her sore muscles restored, she smiled at Aerith. “Thank you,” Tifa murmured. 

Aerith twisted her staff in her hands. “It’s the least I could do,” she said, ducking her head. “I’m the reason you all came here.” 

Tifa shook her head. “No. It’s not your fault.” There were many reasons they could have ended up in the Shinra Building. Barret, Tifa knew, wanted revenge on Shinra. Being this close to the president, and knowing they might never get this opportunity again, might be too much for the big man to pass up. “It’s mine.” 

“I don’t understand.” Aerith crouched beside Tifa. “You didn’t do all of this.” 

“I asked you to get Marlene.” The guilt twisted in Tifa’s stomach, making it hard to breathe. “It should have been me. Shinra would have never found you if I hadn’t asked you to go to the bar.” In that moment, staring up at the Section 7 pillar, Tifa hadn’t known what to do. In her heart, she knew she’d done what she needed to, and that was to get Wedge to safety, and then to go help the others. 

Not that it mattered in the end. The plate still fell. So many people were dead. Many more lost everything they had beneath the rubble. They were lucky to escape with their lives, but that didn’t change the fact that Tifa still felt responsible. Shinra claimed Avalanche dropped the plate, but she saw what the Turks did. 

She should have saved more people. They should have done better. She should have made sure Aerith was safe. 

The staff clanged against the concrete floor. Aerith wrapped both arms around Tifa, tucking her into her smaller body. Tifa swallowed, sure she was gross and sweaty from all the fighting, but Aerith never pulled away. “You didn’t know Shinra was searching for me,” she reminded Tifa, her voice soft in the eerie quiet of the third ward. “It was my fault for not telling you. About what I am.” 

“I don’t care about that.” Aerith was still Aerith, no matter what abilities might lie in her bloodline as the last of the Ancients. Now, it was just one more reason Tifa would stand by her side as they fought their way out of here. “Marlene wasn’t your responsibility.” 

“But I wanted to help.” Aerith brushed Tifa’s hair out of her face. Such a simple gesture, and yet the touch of her hand sent a chill through Tifa. “Do you think I would have gone if I didn’t want to go?” 

Tifa chewed on her bottom lip. “No.” 

“I was where I was supposed to be,” Aerith reminded her. “If I hadn’t gone, Marlene would still be huddled behind the bar, scared out of her mind. She wouldn’t have been safe.” 

Tears came to her eyes. Tifa blinked them away. The idea of Marlene dying hit home in more ways than one. Barret wouldn’t survive losing his little girl. To be honest, Tifa wasn’t sure she’d survive it, either. “It was selfish of me to ask you to do what I should have done.” 

Aerith shook her head. “No, silly. If I wasn’t supposed to go, if the hand of destiny needed me on a different path, don’t you think the whispers would have stopped me?” 

“I hate those things.” The words slipped out, and she slapped a hand against her mouth. “Sorry.” 

“Oh, I agree.” Aerith shrugged. “But the fact remains. I was supposed to go to Marlene. Tseng was supposed to find me. And we…” She cast her gaze around the room, full of discarded equipment. Her eyes never focused on anything in particular, like she could see something beyond these walls. “And we are supposed to be here. Why, I’m not sure yet. I’m sure I’ll be shown the way.” 

When she spoke like that, it was easy to put her faith in Aerith. Of all of them, she seemed to have the best handle on what was happening. Barret and Cloud were both strong, and they would fight until their dying breath, but their convictions differed from Aerith’s. 

Throughout it all, Aerith still hadn’t let Tifa go. Tifa leaned against Aerith’s shoulder, finding comfort in the embrace. “Thank you,” she murmured into Aerith’s jacket. 

She brushed the softest kiss against Tifa’s forehead. “Thank you,” Aerith whispered back, “for coming for me.” 

“We found you,” Tifa said, echoing her words from the train graveyard. “I’m not going to let you go again.” 

Aerith hugged her tight. Tifa returned it, knowing this wasn’t the place, nor the time, for such affections. But they needed this reassurance. Nothing Shinra did could take this bond away from them. That was what Shinra didn’t understand - that the power of love, and the planet, triumphed over every show of force and power the world could create. 

They lingered there together, hanging onto each other, for a few minutes. Aerith was the first to pull away. “We should go,” she said, rocking back up to her feet. “Who knows what else Hojo has planned for us.” 

“I don’t want to think about it.” Tifa passed Aerith her staff before standing, stretching her arms above her head. “Let’s get this over with.” 

When this was all over, Tifa promised herself they’d return to this moment right here. Where Aerith was in her arms and they didn’t have monsters or freaky scientists or evil corporations to worry about. It was enough to put a smile on her face as they continued through to the next area. 

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Savior" by Rise Against.


End file.
